From Singapore to Lisbon, Portugal in 24 hours for IFA GPC 2017

IFA GPC 2017 commences from 20-23 April so we spent most of today in the air, flying 8 hours from Singapore to Dubai in UAE; and another 8 hours onwards to Lisbon, Portugal; with a 6-hour transit in the Dubai International Airport.

* This article was first published on The Travel Memoir.

So the entire journey took around 24 hours, if you include the 2 hours earlier you got to turn up at the airport to check in.

I flew Emirates Airlines and the check-in and transit was smooth.

The first leg from Singapore to Dubai was in an Airbus A380-800 and the seats in coach were relatively spacious and comfortable.

The second leg from Dubai to Lisbon was in a smaller Boeing 777-300er and the seats were less generous.

Food and service were average – rather pragmatic and just get the job done.

I expected more from an airline that I perceived as among the top few in the world.

Well, at least I didn’t get dragged by the arms on the whims and fancies of the staff.

Airport wise, everything was smooth at Changi Airport Terminal 1, Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 and Lisbon Portela Airport.

In particular, I was impressed at the Lisbon end – customs took 7 minutes to clear and I was out in the Arrival Hall within 15 minutes of emerging from the gates because I didn’t check in any luggage.

All three airports provided free Wi-Fi with good coverage, which is surely a huge convenience to travellers.

For the IFA GPC 2017 in Lisbon, I’d reserved a Wi-Fi router ahead of time from Changi Recommends.

It was a breeze collecting it from one of many shops/counters before I checked in.

When I arrived in Lisbon, I fished out the router and it was again easy to connect my smartphones and notebook to the router for Internet access.

Simply switch on the router, and the Wi-Fi network appeared in the Wi-Fi network list in my devices, so I simply had to do the one-time setup to select the network and key in the password.

Subsequent connection was fast, with good reception and speed.

At the Lisbon Airport, I was met at the gates of the Arrival Hall and bused to Marriott Hotel, where the conference is being held, and where attendees will be staying as well.

So having settled into the hotel in Lisbon, we’re all set for the power briefings and product showcases tomorrow.

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